Spring-type ball-projecting device

ABSTRACT

A device for projecting a ball or other object in an intended manner for amusement or in a contest. The device has a movable or portable frame provided with an article support and an impact element which is yieldably movable toward a ball or article located on said support to project the ball from the support in a controlled or predetermined manner toward a target or similar objective.

United States Patent Inventor Russell A. Sever-s, Jr.

19 E Franklin Ave., Pennington, NJ. 08534 Appl. No. 797,535 Filed Feb. 7, 1969 Patented Aug. 3, 1971 SPRING-TYPE BALL-PROJECTING DEVICE 4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl 124/16, 124/34, 124/36 Int. Cl F411) 7/00 Field of Search 124/16, 27,

{56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,594,006 7/1926 Eliason 124/16 2,279,766 4/1942 Truesdell 124/16 2,437,727 3/1948 Drumheller 124/38 X 3,221,726 12/1965 Walker 124/34 X Primary Examiner-Richard C. Pinkham Assistant Examiner-William R, Browne Attorney-Sperry and Zoda ABSTRACT: A device for projecting a ball or other object in an intended manner for amusement or in a contest. The device has a movable or portable frame provided with an article support and an impact element which is yieldably movable toward a ball or article located on said support to project the ball from the support in a controlled or predetermined manner toward a target or similar objective.

PATENIEU Am; 3191:

INVENTOR RussaLL A. Sevens, J2. By 4 W ATTORNEY$ SPRING-TYPE BALL-PROJECTING DEVICE FIELD OF INVENTION The invention is directed to a novel type of amusement device which preferably has a frame or standard provided with a foot or positioning means engageable with a playing surface to hold one end of the frame of the device in place while per mitting the other end or portion thereof to be tilted, turned or otherwise moved to direct a spring-urged or resilient impact member toward a support for a ball or the like. The device is provided with a ball or article support such as a cup' or rest located in position to be struck by the impact member whereby the ball or article may be projected toward the target or in a predetermined direction.

THE PRIOR ART projecting balls, rounded objects, arrows and the like-have been developed heretofore, they have in general been limited through the supporting block 14 and is provided with a stop pin or projection 24 for limiting the penetration of the spike into the ground so that the frame may be tilted as desired without limiting the rearward movement of the impact member 30 mounted on the frame 2. On the other hand, the

in their application or usage of projecting specific object s toward specific types of targets or objectives as exemplified by the well-known pinball miniature baseball, basketball, golf or archery games of the prior art. Moreover, the games and equipment are generally so simplified for use by children as to be lacking in appeal to adults or they have required such skill, strength or ability as to render them useful and attractivefto adults or only a relatively limited group of persons or players.

In accordance with the present invention a ball or article projecting member is so constructed as to be movable to substantially any position desired or required for projecting an article in an intended manner or in a desired direction toward any selected type of target or objective. Moreover, the manner in which the projecting or impact member is actuated and the manner in which the ball or object is supported with respect to the impact member may be so varied as to adapt the equipment for use by children or adults and in playing games of the utmost simplicity or of the greatest skill.

THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a front elevation illustrating a typical form of device embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the device shown in FIG. 1;

' FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 illustrating the parts when positioned in a typical arrangement for playing one type of game;

FIG. 4 is a side view showing a typical modification of the device illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, and

FIG. 5 illustrates a further manner of utilizing the type of equipment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 as well as a modified type of spring means which may be used in devices embodying the present invention.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION In that form of the invention chosen for purposes of illustration in FIGS, 1, 2 and 3 the device has a frame 2 provided with parallel side members 4 which are spaced apart at their upper ends by a spacing member 6 having a handle 8. The lower ends of the side members 4 are similarly spaced apart by a base member 10 secured to the side members 4 by metal corner straps 12. A ball-supporting block 14 is secured to the base member 10 between the side members 4 and has an upwardly facing ball-receiving recess 16 therein. A ball stop 18 which may be formed of plastic material is secured to the ball-supporting block 14 on the rear face of the block to prevent the member at this point;

spike 22 can be removed to permit rubber bumpers or other positioning members 26 to be rested on a playing surface 28 such as the top of a table, on the surface of a shuffleboard court, the floor of a playroom or elsewhere if desired.

The frame 2 is provided with a striking member or impact element 30 which as exemplified in FIG. 1 and 2 is secured to a mounting block 32 on the spacing member 6 of the frame 2 and extends downwardly therefrom between the side members 4 of the frame. The impact member 30 may be formed of any suitable material such I as plywood, fiberglass, metal, stiff rubber of the like and preferably is secured at its upper end to the mounting block 32 by screws or; the like. The impact member 30'rnay itself be of such 'resilie ncyand stiffness as to be capable of flexing and release toproje'ct the ball 20 or other article forwardly in adesired or pre'rieterrnined manner. However, as shown a coil spring member34 is positioned to engage and bear against the impact member 30 to urge it toward the vertical position shown in FIG. 2. For this purpose the spring 34 surrounds'a bolt 36 inotinted on a crosspiece 38 secured to the side members 4 of the frame 2 and extending through an opening 40 in the impactmember 30. The lower edge of the crosspiece is preferably rounded at 39 toprevent sharp bending and the creation of coi'icentratedstrains on the impact The bolt 36 and the spring 34 can beselected and adjusted as desired to cause the impact element 30 to assume a normal vertical position as shown in FIG. 2 wherein the free lower end 42 of the impact element willbe located adjacent the ball 20 or object resting on the supporting member 4. The free end 42 of the impact element is preferably provided with a weight 44 which may be selected or adjusted as desired for playing any game. Similarly the inner side or face of the free end 42 of the impact element may be provided with a leather, cushioned or other striking surface element 46 if desired.

The impact element 30-may be actuated in various 'ways as required for playing any particular game. However, in the preferred form of the invention illustrated a flexible operating cord 50 is secured to the impact element near the free end thereof or at some other selected point between the free end '42 and the spring 34. A handle 52 attached to the cord 50 can then be pulled to flex the ii'iipact mernber and draw the free end 42 thereof away from the ball of object 20 for subsequent release to project the :ball ina predetermined and intended manner.

The cord 50 preferably is arranged to pass-through a loop or ring 54 on the free end of a bridle 56 which is attached to the handle 8 at the upper'end of the frame 2. The bridle 56 is not only flexible but may also be elastic so that when the handle 52 of the operating cord 50 is pulled the bridle will be stretched to provide a further and more accurately controlled variable feel" for determining th'amount of energy to be applied in projecting the object20 from the support 22 to a target or objective. Moreover, in order to assure the smooth and proper action and movement of the impact element with a minimum of frictional interference due to the sliding of the operating cord through the ring 54 of the bridle, the operating cord is provided with a smooth cover or plastic sleeve 58 which surrounds at least that portion of the operating cord 50 which will contact the ring 54. The bridle56 also prevents the operating cord 50 from falling to the ground when released so that the operating cord and its handle 52 are always in a convenient position for use. Moreover, the plastic sleeve 58 on the operating cord gives the cord sufficient stiffness to prevent the cord from whipping about freely or becoming entangled when released.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 of the drawings the device is capable of many variations and modifications in both the construction and 'use thereof. Thus as shown inFIG. 4 the frame 2 may be tilted to a desired position for playing some games whereas as shown in H0. 5, the side members 60 of the frame 62 may be constructed somewhat like the wickets of a croquet game. Then the lower ends of the side members 60 may be sharpened as shown at 64 and pressed or held in position in the ground by the foot member 66. The spring member 68 which urges the impact member 70 toward the ball or object may be of the leaf spring type as shown in FIG. 5.

When using any of the forms of the device described or shown, the object engaged by the impact element may be of a desired size, shape, or character. Accordingly, the device can be used to project an object upward in a trajectory as in football, golf, baseball, archery or the like. it may in the alternative be used to putt" a golf ball over a green or toward a hole or target, or it may be used on a playing surface such as a table, shuffleboard court or for playing lawn bowls, bocce or a simple game of marbles or games of skill such as billiards.

As a result the device lends itself to use in playing a great variety of different types of games and may at the same time be used by either adults of children and in games or sports requiring either little or no skill or the utmost in strength and accuracy.

I claim:

1. A device for projecting an object such as a ball or the like in a controlled manner toward an objective, said device comprising an elongated frame having an object support thereon, positioning means at one end of the frame for holding said end in a fixed position, handle means at the opposite end of the frame for holding said frame in a predetermined angular position with respect to a surface engaged by said positioning means, an impact member fixedly mounted near its upper end on said frame an having a lower free end movable toward and away from an object on said object support, tensioning means urging said free end of the impact member toward said object support and into engagement with an object on said support, a flexible cord connected to said impact member and adapted to be manually pulled in a chosen manner to move the lower end of the impact member a selected distance from the object support and to subject said tensioning means to a selected tension so that upon release of said cord the lower end of the impact member will be movable to strike an object on the object support with a selected force, and a flexible bridle connected to said frame at the fixed end of the impact member and having a free end with a loop thereon through which the flexible cord extends, said bridle being elastic and offering resistance to the movement of the flexible cord when said cord is pulled and released.

2. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said impact element is in the form of a resilient strip of material having one end thereof fixedly secured to said frame near one end of the frame, the opposite end of said strip being yieldably movably toward and away from said object support.

3. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein a spring engages said impact element between the opposite ends thereof and urges it toward said object support.

4. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein that portion of the operating cord which passes through the loop or ring on the bridle, is provided with a smooth plastic covering. 

1. A device for projecting an object such as a ball or the like in a controlled manner toward an objective, said device comprising an elongated frame having an object support thereon, positioning means at one end of the frame for holding said end in a fixed position, handle means at the opposite end of the frame for holding said frame in a predetermined angular position with respect to a surface engaged by said positioning means, an impact member fixedly mounted near its upper end on said frame an having a lower free end movable toward and away from an object on said object support, tensioning means urging said free end of the impact member toward said object support and into engagement with an object on said support, a flexible cord connected to said impact member and adapted to be manually pulled in a chosen manner to move the lower end of the impact member a selected distance from the object support and to subject said tensioning means to a selected tension so that upon release of said cord the lower end of the impact member will be movable to strike an object on the object support with a selected force, and a flexible bridle connected to said frame at the fixed end of the impact member and having a free end with a loop thereon through which the flexible cord extends, said bridle being elastic and offering resistance to the movement of the flexible cord when said cord is pulled and released.
 2. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said impact element is in the form of a resilient strip of material having one end thereof fixedly secured to said frame near one end of the frame, the opposite end of said strip being yieldably movably toward and away from said object support.
 3. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein a spring engages said impact elemeNt between the opposite ends thereof and urges it toward said object support.
 4. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein that portion of the operating cord which passes through the loop or ring on the bridle, is provided with a smooth plastic covering. 